Sunset at Sutton Bank

[Jolly Roger]

I was reminded last night of why I love this hobby so much - a perfect evening on the edge of a hill with a glider I know so well that it feels like an old friend.
I launched after 8pm, dropping the glider vertically off the edge of the cliff. I get a thrill from this - the way gravity thinks it's about to claim a victim as the glider hurtles downwards, but then the wings come to life and pull her out in an upwards parabola. It also feels faintly heroic launching like this - no frantic stumbling across the hillside, just a casual toss, like the guys in the alps on Youtube. I love those videos.

So I sailed around in the warm air, rising easily to 400m then swooping steeply past the cliff edge for a foray down into the woods below and out over the lake, daring myself each time to fly lower and further out, but each time circling back up easily to ridge height.

The lift was everywhere, and so smooth it felt unreal. I enjoyed seeing the way the sunset bathed everything in a glowing light, the canopy glinting as the wings swept big arcs across the treeline below. I played along the edge of the cliff, weaving between trees and darting between gaps in the cliff edge, with only crows for company.

After nearly an hour of capering about I realised the light would soon be gone so now was the time to attempt a tricky cross-wind landing along a very narrow strip hemmed in by a stone wall on one side and the cliff on the other, punctuated by trees for extra challenge (my usual large flat landing area had been deeply ploughed last week). Better pilots than me would have pulled it off but after 3 increasingly hairy attempts I gave up and walked back to see if I could find a better landing area. Happily there was an into-wind strip - still only 10m wide, but it would allow a long approach giving time to get it perfectly lined up. Even more happily, I nailed it first time, she trundled up to my feet, and I did a little victory jig.

I think it's important to have moments of deep joy in your life, and this was one of mine.

[chris williams]

Nice...!

[John Vella]

Beautiful flying in stunning conditions. Regards John.

[RobbieB]

Tight little landing strip you've got there Rog.

Nice pics.

[Jolly Roger]

Thanks gents. I'm sure you've all had flights like this too.

Boomer thermals this afternoon over Sutton Bank, topped by huge dirty-bottomed cumulus and flocks of circling full-size sailplanes. Shame I've got to work.

[Nigel Argall]

Great words and pics! You are becoming the SSUK poet and philosopher!

[Jolly Roger]

Great words and pics! You are becoming the SSUK poet and philosopher!

Oh I dunno about that Nigel but I feel so lucky to be able to fly scale gliders in a beautiful place.

I snuck up the top again this evening just before sunset. The wind was off the slope and the lift marginal so I added a prop for the second flight, but the light more than made up for it - absolutely unbelievable. Sadly my camera couldn't believe it either and seems to have filtered out the effect. Sorry - you'll have to take my word for it! Here's some more snaps.

[Jolly Roger]

Thermaling at home today. There was lift pretty much everywhere (that's MY KIND of thermalling)... except over the lake. I assume water is just too good at absorbing heat energy to radiate it out?

Our friend Julian and his son Archie had a stir on the sticks too. Julian is better known as Channel 5's The Yorkshire Vet, for all you animal-fanciers out there.

[Jolly Roger]

Today's grey blanket of cloud broke this evening to create a glorious sunset. This and the fresh wind blowing obligingly up the cliff was just too tempting...

[jimbo]

Looks like a very nice spot!